


(tell me) you're the one i felt

by forbiddenquill



Category: TWICE (Band)
Genre: DubChaeng are gfs, F/F, Fluff, For Tzuyu's birthday!, Just some Mitzu being soft and warm with each other, The other members show up too, no angst i promise
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-14
Updated: 2020-06-14
Packaged: 2021-03-04 04:01:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,450
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24717226
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/forbiddenquill/pseuds/forbiddenquill
Summary: Mitzu AU: In which Tzuyu is a professional archer and meets Myoui Mina at a dance showcase.-"Everything about Mina seems warm. It reminds Tzuyu of days back in Tainan—her mother tending to the garden, her father smoking a cigarette, her and her older brother playing cards on the porch of their humble house. There are certain aspects she attributes to home, such as the stillness of the air and the sensation that time has stopped altogether. With Mina, she feels a semblance of it."-(or, alternatively, Tzuyu isn't good with words but wants to get to know Mina.)
Relationships: Chou Tzuyu/Myoui Mina, Kim Dahyun/Son Chaeyoung
Comments: 18
Kudos: 295





	(tell me) you're the one i felt

**Author's Note:**

> Commissioned by @TeaHouse0614 for Tzuyu's birthday!!! 
> 
> Title comes from Mitzu's lines in Firework :] 
> 
> Enjoy!!!

.

Tzuyu hears the signal, takes a deep breath, and notches her bow. She closes one eye, as she has done so countless times before, and aims for the target. But she doesn’t let go yet. Instead, she waits until the seconds are nearly over before she exhales a sigh and releases the arrow.

The cheers of the crowd erupt across the stadium.

It’s a bullseye.

“ _A perfect 10 for the Chou Tzuyu, South Korea’s pride and joy!_ ” the commentator yells, followed by an even louder chorus of cheers, “ _The ace has snagged victory for her country once again!_ ”

Tzuyu looks up, her eyes taking in her reflection displayed across hundreds of screens across the stadium, and smiles.

.

Representing a country that isn't completely your own is something that Tzuyu hasn't gotten used to. 

But, as she accepts the gold medal for her performance, she can't help but preen with pride. This is what she's worked hard for. Everything that she's accomplished—it's all thanks to this country. 

And yet, as Tzuyu searches the crowd for a familiar audience, she feels the bitter longing for a home she hasn't visited in a long time. 

.

Two glasses of wine—one half empty, the other one untouched—sits on the kitchen counter.

Jeongyeon, her manager, slides a pamphlet across the table. "My friend is going to perform here," she shares, "I think they're trying to raise charity."

Tzuyu is busy on her phone, scrolling past words of congratulations in a language that still feels awkward and stilted on her tongue. "That sounds nice,” she says simply.

“Yeah.” Jeongyeon is looking at her carefully. “You can come if you want. It's this weekend." 

"Pass." 

A sigh is heard from her manager, one that Tzuyu dutifully ignores. "Okay."

"Hmm."

Silence.

"There's a party tonight," Jeong adds, swinging one leg back and forth as she sits on the kitchen stool, "Your teammates are going." 

"Of course they are," Tzuyu replies, barely sparing the pamphlet a glance as she looks up at the older girl, "Wherever Chaeng goes, Dahyun follows." 

"They're social people." 

"They want to celebrate our victory." Tzuyu glances back down at her phone, where her mother has sent a text full of congratulatory dog memes, "I'm fine here." 

Jeongyeon sighs again and moves to stand up. "Live a little, Tzuyu-yah," she says knowingly, "Doesn't hurt, you know." 

"Like I said, I'm fine." 

"Suit yourself." Jeong finishes off her drink and waves goodbye. "Congrats, by the way. You did a good job." 

There is sincerity in her manager's words but for Tzuyu, they sound empty. Still, she doesn't say anything else as Jeongyeon leaves her apartment. What's left is silence—silence that Tzuyu has grown used to over the past year. When she, Dahyun and Chaeyoung rose as star athletes in archery, they'd been given the freedom to get their own apartments. Despite her friends insisting they should all still live together, Tzuyu simply didn't want to impose on their relationship. 

Tzuyu sighs, grabs her wine glass and pours the contents into the sink. It's not like she doesn't want to celebrate their earlier victory but the thought of going out and meeting new people made her uneasy. She doesn't think she can handle faking smiles and listening to empty words. She'd rather watch a documentary. 

As she heads to the living room, settling for a night of peace and quiet, she spots the pamphlet Jeongyeon left behind. At first glance, it's red and black. But upon closer inspection, she sees a mosaic of colors in the middle of the picture with a lone figure of a woman stuck in the moment—hands outstretched up in the sky with her face hidden in the shadows. The image is edited in a way that it seems like the woman is being split into two. Tzuyu reads the words **TWICE: Double The Cause** printed at the very top in cursive handwriting. 

Tzuyu purses her lips, taps on the pamphlet, and thinks to herself. 

.

Before Tzuyu heads off to bed later that night, she checks the latest news article regarding their victory that day. It’s something she likes to do, despite the fact that there’s a possibility she’ll read bad articles written about her. Still, she knows she needs to build thicker skin if she wants to survive under the scrutiny of the public all the time. 

A quick Naver search of her name bears more good than she expects.

_Chou Tzuyu stuns the crowd with her beauty_

_The winning shot: South Korea’s Chou Tzuyu captures all our hearts_

_Modern-day Aphordite caught on camera!_

Most of the pictures she finds are of her face during the last round of the tournament. None of them are about the winning shot she scored that earned her team the victory. 

She puts her phone away, feeling the heaviness of her heart deep in her chest, even though she expected nothing less from the press.

.

“You should’ve been there, Tzuyu-yah!” Chaeyoung tells her excitedly the next day, once she and Dahyun have sobered up after a night of drinking, “Everybody who was _anybody_ showed up!” 

Tzuyu hums, already preparing breakfast for her teammates. Sometime into the night, Dahyun had called Tzuyu, asking if they could crash at her apartment, since it was the closest place they knew. Despite being initially miffed at having her dog documentary interrupted, Tzuyu didn’t want her teammates to get into trouble. So, she picked them up at an apartment complex owned by the infamous Im Nayeon (whom Tzuyu had never heard of before—is she an actress? Chaeng had been so scandalized when she asked), brought them back to her place and made sure they weren’t too drunk to throw up on her silk covers. 

“Babe,” Dahyun mumbles, shushing Chaeyoung as she sports a hangover, “It’s too early to be _so_ loud.”

“It’s 11 in the morning,” Tzuyu replies, pushing a plate of pancakes in front of her two friends, “and technically, this should be considered brunch.”

Chaeyoung smiles up at her as she digs into the food. Dahyun, on the other hand, has her face hidden in both of her hands. It’s clear that she’s still reeling from the previous night’s events. According to Chaeyoung, it had been so _wild_ she was afraid the cops could come in any second and demand everything to be shut down.

“What were you doing last night?” Dahyun asks, raising her head and looking up at Tzuyu under hooded lids, “Please tell me you weren’t alone.” 

Tzuyu purses her lips and pours coffee into two cups. For herself, she already prepared tea. “And if I was?” she asks.

“Tzuyu! We won a worldwide competition!” Chaeyoung yells, sounding aghast, and Dahyun groans in pain at the high volume of her girlfriend’s voice, “You should’ve gone with us. We’re a team! We’re supposed to celebrate _together_.”

“Babe, please keep your voice down.” Dahyun whimpers. “My head is going to explode.”

“Sorry.” Chaeng is now looking at Tzuyu with a frown on her face.

Tzuyu waves away her worries. “It’s fine,” she says, “I’ve told you guys before. I like staying at home.” 

“ _We_ do too,” Dahyun points out, “Please, we’re homebodies—just like you, remember?”

“I know.” Tzuyu watches her two friends eat. “I just don’t like talking to people.”

“We know,” Chaeyoung answers, sighing loudly, “but you just can’t _not_ talk to people all the time. In case you’ve forgotten, we’re kind of superstars? It’s kind of our job to talk to people, even when we don’t want to.”

“That’s a stupid rule,” is all that Tzuyu says. 

Dahyun groans once more. “Can a trio of archery athletes be considered superstars?”

“Yes,” Chaeyoung responds easily, “Especially _the_ Chou Tzuyu. I think everybody’s heard of her. Face of _Estee Lauder_ , won as the most beautiful face of 2019, shows up every now and then on TV. One time, she was caught buying a sweatshirt from _ADLV_ and within the next hour, that exact sweatshirt was sold out. Yeah. Superstar material.” 

Tzuyu rolls her eyes. “I’m not a superstar.”

“You weren’t there last night, Tzuyu,” Chaeng points out, “Anybody who _vaguely_ recognized us asked where _you_ were. I mean, who can blame them? When you think about a South Korean archery team, you’re the one that pops up in people’s heads.” The shorter girl sighs dramatically, feigning hurt. “People were so busy looking for you it was almost like _we_ were invisible.” 

“It was a blow to Chaeng’s ego,” Dahyun commented lightly, looking considerably better after a few sips of her coffee, “She was looking forward to signing autographs.”

“ _Don’t rat me out like this, babe_ ,” Chaeyoung furiously whispers to her girlfriend before she turns to Tzuyu with a forced smile, “Anyway, that’s beside the point. We’re just worried that you’ve been a little cooped up.”

Tzuyu doesn't like where this conversation is going, having already been at the receiving end of lectures from her friends. Once again, she understands how famous she is. And with fame comes certain responsibilities she doesn't want to have in the first place. 

But Tzuyu has never asked for this. 

All she wants is to play archery. 

"I'm not cooped up," she says, avoiding their gazes, "I'm just homesick." 

She pretends not to see Dahyun and Chaeyoung sharing a glance, clearly having heard that excuse a hundred times already. Tzuyu doesn't have the energy to tell them that it isn't an excuse. She's always missing home—one way or another. 

"Tzuyu," Dahyun starts, "Maybe you should—" 

But Tzuyu doesn't want to hear it, doesn't want to be dragged to another party she could care less about, doesn't want to be forced to socialize with people she can barely understand. 

Then she spots the pamphlet Jeongyeon had left last night—the one she stuck on the fridge simply because she thought it was pretty. 

" _Plus_ ," she adds, effectively cutting off Dahyun's sentence, "I _am_ going somewhere this weekend. A dance showcase." 

Both her friends' eyebrows jump in surprise. "Oh?" Chaeng says, leaning forward in interest, "When is this showcase?" 

"This weekend," Tzuyu answers, pointing at the said pamphlet; the two other girls follow her gaze, "Jeong invited me." 

Dahyun nods slowly. "Great," she says, taking another sip of her coffee and wincing at the taste, "You'll be with our manager then." 

“Yeah.” Tzuyu didn’t initially plan on going but if it gets Dahyun and Chaeyoung off her back, then it’ll have to do. 

“Tell us how it goes,” Chaeyoung tells her, eyes warm and smile even warmer. Dahyun nods, smiling as well, cheeks flushed pink as she sips her coffee once more. 

Those smiles are a reminder that her friends have Tzuyu’s best interests at heart—even if it doesn’t necessarily feel like it sometimes. 

.

Seoul has always been a busy city. 

It’s the opposite of Tainan—a place that Tzuyu knows like the back of her hand, even though she hasn’t been there in forever. Sometimes, when things get too stressful, Tzuyu wants nothing more than to go back home, to hop on the earliest flight possible and be with her people once again. In her mind, Tainan is a city suspended in time, known for its temples and historical sites. Nothing changes and Tzuyu finds herself comforted by this fact. When everything goes downhill, she can always rely on home to be the only constant in her life. 

Despite having made a name for herself in South Korea, Tzuyu never stops feeling like an outsider.

.

When she gets dropped off at the Sejong Center, Tzuyu is immediately swept in the fast-paced rush hour of Seoul. Despite it being nearly six in the evening, people are still milling about—some with their friends, others with their family. She catches sight of couples with their hands locked together, pointing at random tourist attractions, such as the plaza that sits in front of the Center or a few cyclist groups just heading down the streets. Night is fast approaching but that doesn’t mean Seoul stops being so _busy_. 

Tzuyu is intercepted by a manager and led down multiple hallways inside the theatre. Being part of South Korea’s national archery team has its perks, after all. All it took to reserve a seat in this showcase was a quick phone call to the theatre and a confirmation that _yes, I am Chou Tzuyu and I am interested in watching your show tonight_. Tzuyu was more than happy with a regular seating arrangement but the theatre insisted they give her VIP treatment. Now, she finds herself at the second-floor balcony, along with a few other important guests, where they can view the performance from a higher vantage point. 

“We hope you enjoy the show,” the manager tells Tzuyu, offering a large smile, “It’s a pleasure to have you, Ms. Chou.” 

Tzuyu smiles politely. “The pleasure is all mine.” 

As she waits for the show to start, she looks down at the floor below, where the rest of the audience are, and tries to catch a glimpse of Jeongyeon. When she doesn’t find her, she opts for a text instead: _hey are you at your show_? 

_yeah_ , Jeongyeon replies, _you’re here too right?_

 _how’d you know_? Tzuyu asks, shaking her head. Of course her manager knows everything. 

_somebody spotted you outside_ , is Jeong’s reply, _now everybody is talking about THE chou tzuyu coming in to watch a dance showcase for charity. i can already imagine the news headlines calling u an angel._

Tzuyu sighs. Of course word would get around that she was here. While being famous does have its perks, it also has its downfalls. Now, she can’t go anywhere without being spotted by the world and made news articles about. After all, she’s only here because she didn’t want to unnecessarily worry her friends. A part of her feels bad that she might be painted as an angel simply because she has to leave the apartment every now and then. 

Still, it’s the press. They can do whatever they want with little to no consequences. 

_i’ll meet up with u later_ , Jeongyeon’s next message says, _there’s a party afterwards. i’ll introduce u to a couple of friends_.

Tzuyu doesn’t really want to, wanting nothing more than to go home after the show is over, but before she can whine about it to her manager, Jeongyeon has already sent in another text: _no buts. you’re already here. might as well socialize_. 

Tzuyu sighs. Oh, well. At least it just means more evidence to Dahyun and Chaeyoung that she _did_ go out and enjoy herself in some way. _fine_ , she concedes and puts away her phone once the lights in the theatre start to dim. It’s showtime. 

When the show starts, Tzuyu doesn’t really have any prior ideas on what to expect. However, she’s immediately intrigued when it begins with a lone woman standing in the middle, the spotlight shining on her. She’s the opening act, the one that will capture people’s attention, the center of the performance. At least that’s what’s on Tzuyu’s mind as she continues to watch the woman. Because as soon as the woman begins to dance, Tzuyu can’t take her eyes off her.

The woman, for lack of a better term, is _beautiful_. Seconds into the performance, Tzuyu’s breath has already been taken away. She is captivated, entranced and fascinated by the woman on stage performing. From a distance, her face can’t be seen but Tzuyu thinks she’s still beautiful. Her moves are graceful and elegant. The expression on her face, from what Tzuyu can see, is serene and at peace. As if dancing in front of hundreds of people is second nature to her. 

The woman performs ballet on stage. She twirls, spins, jumps, arches and does everything that Tzuyu is pretty sure would break her neck if she did the same thing. However, the woman does it all so easily. Like she doesn’t even have any bones to break. She matches well with the music but Tzuyu finds herself focused completely on her movements instead of the beat that accompanies it. The most amazing thing that Tzuyu realizes during the entire performance is that she _knows_ the woman is beautiful, despite not being able to see past the long blonde hair that frames her face.

It’s the complete opposite of what Tzuyu’s been subjected to. 

The performance soon ends, quickly followed by more groups and talents, but the woman never leaves Tzuyu’s mind, long after she’s already disappeared behind the curtains. 

.

“That was a lovely performance,” are Tzuyu’s first words to Jeongyeon when they meet up in a secluded corner outside of the dance hall, “I’m happy to have witnessed it.” 

Jeongyeon, wearing a suit that accentuates her beauty even more, smiles broadly at Tzuyu. “I’m glad you came,” she says, “I didn’t think you’d show up, to be honest.” 

“I wasn’t originally planning to,” Tzuyu admits, looking around the area as more people left the premises, “but Dahyun and Chaeng seemed like they wanted me to leave the apartment. I’d rather watch this show a thousand times more than get dragged to a party with them.” 

“Ah.” Her manager looks highly amused. “Those two aren’t exactly the most tolerant when it comes to alcohol.” 

“Exactly.” 

Jeongyeon shakes her head and perks up when she spots somebody over Tzuyu’s shoulder. When the taller girl turns, she finds herself face-to-face with a pretty dark-haired girl with large eyes and a wide smile walking up to them. Jeong exclaims, “ _Momoring!_ ” and quickly engulfs the girl in a tight embrace. Tzuyu faintly recognizes the girl as one of the girls who had danced on stage. The one that performed halfway through the show. 

_Not_ the _one_ , Tzuyu thinks to herself wistfully, remembering the woman who performed the opening act.

“Tzuyu-yah,” Jeong begins, gesturing to the newcomer, “This is my roommate from college, Hirai Momo. She was the one who performed the solo dance in the middle of the show.”

“It’s an honor to meet you, Tzuyu-ssi,” Momo says with a shy smile, bowing deeply, “I’m a huge fan. Congratulations on your recent win, by the way.”

“Thank you,” Tzuyu responds, “I enjoyed the performances earlier.”

Momo’s eyes light up in excitement. “I’m glad!” she exclaims, clapping her hands together, “I was a bit underprepared, to be honest, but it all worked out in the end.” 

“You were very good.” In the back of her mind, Tzuyu wants to ask about the identity of the first performer but unfortunately, Jeongyeon changes the topic by asking, 

“Are we still on for the party?” Then she points at Tzuyu. “Can I bring a friend along?”

Momo nods happily, gesturing to the exit of the Sejong center. “Yes,” she says, “A good friend of mine is having one at her place after the show. It’s mostly for the performers but we can always bring guests.” She smiles broadly at Tzuyu. “I’m sure people would be more than happy to meet you, Tzuyu-ssi.”

Tzuyu forces a smile, knowing that she can’t decline an invitation once she’s been presented with one, especially from people she just met. She doesn’t want to seem rude, after all. Once Momo informs them of the address, which Jeongyeon dutifully takes notes of, Tzuyu looks around the crowd of people leaving the premises. She pointedly ignores the ones taking pictures of her as they leave, knowing fully well that this is something that happens on a daily basis for her. 

She’s not really sure who she’s looking for. 

.

The more time Tzuyu spends standing in the balcony overlooking the city lights below the mansion the Minatozaki Sana owns (apparently another famous actress Tzuyu has never heard of), the more she realizes that maybe she shouldn’t have gone to this party. There isn’t anybody she can recognize or mingle with. Moreover, Jeongyeon is too busy catching up with Momo to be her personal bodyguard against a few excited fans. The second she arrived, she excused herself to the bathroom and slipped upstairs to the second floor, where she found a balcony to hide in. It’s probably rude to the owner of the mansion but Tzuyu has always been keen on self-preservation. 

It’s quiet up on the second floor. 

Tzuyu closes her eyes, breathes the evening air in and listens to her thoughts. 

Until it’s interrupted by a knock on the balcony door. 

When Tzuyu turns, she sees a blonde woman standing on the other side. The woman, seeing that she’s been seen already, raises a hand and motions for her to unlock the door. Tzuyu obeys immediately, wondering if this is the infamous Minatozaki Sana who threw this party in the first place—

“I’m sorry,” Tzuyu begins, already halfway through a bow, “I just needed to get some air.”

The woman smiles, warm and inviting. “It’s okay,” she says, stepping into the balcony and closing the door behind her, “I understand.” A pause. “Do you mind if I join you out here? The party was getting too crowded for my taste.” 

Tzuyu returns the smile. “Not at all.” 

The two women stand on the balcony in silence, just listening to the muted sounds of the party downstairs. Tzuyu can’t help but sneak glances at the newcomer, admiring her peach-colored dress. A tiny part of her thinks that the woman probably doesn’t recognize who she is. Would her demeanor change if she knew this was Chou Tzuyu standing next to her and enjoying the small silence in which they’re currently enjoying? Tzuyu isn’t sure. 

It doesn’t really matter, anyway.

“Did you enjoy the show?” the woman suddenly speaks, glancing at her.

Tzuyu nods. “Yes,” she answers, “I thought it was very lovely.” 

“It was for charity,” the woman goes on, turning her body so that she’s facing Tzuyu, “Most of the proceeds will go to local dance schools who don’t have enough to support themselves.” 

“I see.”

The woman’s smile widens. “I’m glad you enjoyed it,” she says. 

“Were you part of it?” 

“Yes, I was the one who danced first.” 

Tzuyu stills and feels her heart skip a beat inside her chest, the realization dawning on her. _This_ was the woman who had caught her eye earlier. The woman who took her breath away. The woman who looked so beautiful even from far away. “Oh,” she breathes out, feeling as if she’s on the cusp of a fragile revelation. Any second now, she will fall straight into it. 

Tzuyu peers at the woman, drinking in the details up close. The woman’s golden hair suits her quite well, despite the dark roots peeking out from her scalp. Her brown eyes are warm and inviting, just like the smile she wears on her pink lips. There are moles scattered across her face—Tzuyu spots one near her left eyebrow, another on the bridge of her nose and the last one on her top lip. Under the glow of the balcony light and paired with the light dress she’s wearing, the woman seems to glow the more Tzuyu stares at her. 

“I’m Myoui Mina,” the woman, bowing her head. 

Tzuyu mirrors the gesture. “Chou Tzuyu.”

Mina smiles—eyes crinkled around the corners, gums peeking out. “I know,” she whispers, “People were talking about you downstairs.”

“Is that why you’re here?” Tzuyu asks. 

“Partly.” Mina turns her attention back to the night sky, smiling at the stars that are scattered across the darkness. “But like you, I was just looking for a quiet place.” 

“What makes you think I was looking for one?” 

“It was a guess.” Mina shrugs her shoulders. “Plus, your friend Jeongyeon told us that crowds unsettle you sometimes. I get the sentiment.” There’s a brief pause. “I won’t ask for your autograph, though.” 

Tzuyu laughs, shaking her head. “Noted.”

“Are you disappointed?”

“No,” Tzuyu finds herself saying, enjoying the lightness of the conversation they share, “I appreciate it.” 

“That’s good.” Mina glances at her, eyes still twinkling. “I’m still a fan, though. Your competition was broadcasted back at the dance school I worked at. My kids loved you.” 

“Kids?” 

Mina nods. “I teach dance to children,” she answers, “We were on break and then one of them pointed at the TV and yelled, ‘ _Look, guys! It’s_ our _ace!_ ’ Then the rest of them all huddled together and watched as you shot the winning arrow. They even forget that they had dance classes until I called their attention.” Her tone is fond, full of affection and pride for the children she talks about. Tzuyu feels the warmth of Mina’s words wash over her. 

Everything about Mina seems warm. It reminds Tzuyu of days back in Tainan—her mother tending to the garden, her father smoking a cigarette, her and her older brother playing cards on the porch of their humble home. There are certain aspects she attributes to home, such as the stillness of the air and the sensation that time has stopped altogether. With Mina, she feels a semblance of it. 

It feels... _nice._

For a moment, Tzuyu forgets that there’s even a party happening downstairs. 

“So,” Tzuyu begins, leaning against the railing and placing her chin on top of her closed fist, “you teach dance?” 

Mina nods happily. “Yes,” she answers, “I teach at one of the local dance schools.” 

“Hmm. Is this one of the schools you were talking about earlier?” 

“You could say that.” Mina lets out a soft sigh. “My best friend Momo and I joined this showcase in the hopes that we could raise funds and awareness for our school. It’s called the _MM Dance Studio_.”

“In a way, you did.” Tzuyu shrugs carelessly at the quirked eyebrow Mina sends her way. “I know of your school now, right? I am _aware_ of its existence.”

“Guess you’re right about that..” Mina tucks a stray hair behind her ear, lips curled into a wry smile. “It’s not really well known. It’s a small place located in Gangnam.”

“Do you like working there?” 

The smile on Mina’s face widens. She looks radiant and beautiful. The more Tzuyu stares, the more she doesn’t want to look away.

“It’s my passion,” Mina shares, “All I’ve ever wanted to do was dance. I love kids as well. They’re always so bright and energetic. Polite, too. So, in a way, teaching at a dance school is like combining two of my favorite things into one.” 

“That’s good.” Tzuyu blinks and glances down at her feet. Even though it’s hard to look away from Mina, she knows she has to. It’s rude to stare, after all. “When you were performing earlier, you looked like you enjoyed it.”

Mina nods. “I did.” She lets out a wistful sigh. “Dance is something that I love.” 

“I think you should always pursue the things you love.” 

“I agree.” Mina inches closer, smiling toothily now. “What about you? Do you like working your job?” 

“You mean archery?” 

Mina shrugs. “Would you consider it a job?” 

Tzuyu has never thought of archery as a job. Sure, it’s considered as a profession in sports. But for her, it’s always been a passion. She loves the weight of her bow against her back, she loves the feeling of the string against her cheek, she loves the patience and endurance it takes just to hit the perfect shot. But most of all, she loves hearing the crowds cheer for her. It feels like vindication. When she thinks about it now, archery has never seemed like a job for her. 

“No,” she answers Mina’s question with a slight furrow between her eyebrows, “I guess I’m one of the lucky few who get to say that, right?”

Mina shrugs, eyes gentle. “You could say that.” 

The conversation is suddenly interrupted when a knock on the balcony door breaks through the calm atmosphere between them. Tzuyu turns and spots a woman with long orange hair standing on the other side, waving brightly at the two of them. Mina lets out a sigh, mumbles “ _Satang_ ” under her breath and steps forward to unlock the door. Then the woman pokes her head in, tongue poking out from between her teeth. 

“There you are,” she chirps, pursing her lips at Mina. Then she spots Tzuyu and raises her eyebrows suggestively. “Oh, I didn’t realize _the_ Chou Tzuyu was here,” she says in a singsong voice. The wink she sends Mina’s way doesn’t go unnoticed. 

Mina huffs. “We were just having a conversation,” she says. 

“I didn’t say anything!” The woman says, raising her hands in surrender, “I was just _commenting_. Anyway, my name is Minatozaki Sana. I’m the owner of this house and dear friend to Mitang here.” She directs the last bit to Tzuyu, who bows her head. 

“I’m Chou Tzuyu,” she says, even though she knows introductions aren’t necessary here. Sana knows who she is already. 

“When Momo told me you were here, I didn’t believe her.” The host of the party claps her hand together, looking positively gleeful. “But _voila_ —here you are!”

Sana’s aura exudes the same warmth that Mina has but brighter, somehow. Where Mina’s warmth reminds Tzuyu of her home back in Tainan, Sana’s makes her think of a blazing supernova that will leave no survivors. It’s a strange thought and one that she keeps to herself. 

“Anyway, I’m just here to collect Mina-yah,” Sana goes on, locking one hand around Mina’s wrist; the gesture makes something in Tzuyu’s chest twist uncomfortably. She ignores this. 

“Okay,” she says in a soft exhale, checking the time on her watch, “It’s late. I think I should head home.”

“So soon?” Sana pouts, “That’s a shame. But would you like me to call you a cab?”

“I would appreciate that, Sana-ssi.” Tzuyu bows again. As she passes by Mina and leaves the premises, she wants to say something, even though it would be foolish to do so. After all, she only met Mina just now. Yet the conversation they shared, however short-lived, has left an imprint on her. Of course, the woman was an imprint herself. The performance from earlier that night comes to mind, immortalizing Mina’s dancing straight into her eyelids. Once again, Tzuyu comes to the acceptance that she hasn’t seen anybody as beautiful as Myoui Mina. 

Tzuyu can’t help but sneak one last longing glance at the woman in question and then walks away. 

.

“So.” Jeongyeon swiftly enters the apartment after Tzuyu swings the door open. “How was the party? I didn’t even realize you already left.” 

Tzuyu returns to her seat on the kitchen counter and takes a sip of her tea she prepared for herself. “It was okay,” she says tersely, thinking very briefly of Mina. 

Her manager takes the seat opposite her. “Okay?” she asks, frowning, “Usually, you’d go to a party, stay there for a few minutes and then ask if we could leave. I didn’t hear from you for an entire _hour_. I was starting to get worried.”

Tzuyu shrugs and continues to drink her tea in peace. “I was on the second floor, up at the balcony,” she recalls, “You know me. Parties aren’t my thing.” 

“Of course.” Jeongyeon watches her closely. “Did you, uhm, just stay there the whole time or…?” 

Tzuyu can already guess where this conversation is headed so she rolls her eyes and mumbles, “I met somebody there.”

Jeongyeon cracks a wolfish grin. “Great,” she says, “No denying there. Sana and Momo already told me about Mina, you know. So I just wanted to see if you’d tell me yourself.” 

“Well, now you know.” 

“Now I know.” 

There is a brief awkward pause. Jeongyeon reaches over and flicks Tzuyu’s forehead with her forefinger. Tzuyu scowls and waves away her manager. “What do you _really_ want to know?” she says, “You’ve got that look on your face, you know. The one that you have on your face right before you get annoying.” 

“Since when have I ever been annoying?”

“When you nag Chaeng for being late, when you nag Dahyun for leaving her stuff around, when you nag me for not socializing with important people.” Tzuyu shrugs again. “You know, just manager things.” 

“This isn’t my manager face,” Jeongyeon tells her, leaning forward with the same wolfish grin dancing on her lips, “This is my regular face. I’m not talking to you as a manager but as a friend. I want to know about you and Mina.”

Tzuyu drums her fingers on the tabletop. “There’s no me and Mina,” she says, letting out a soft sigh, “but I thought she was nice. She talked to me like I was just somebody else, you know? Like I wasn’t a celebrity. It was… nice.” 

Jeongyeon’s grin turns smug. “Of course it was,” she says knowingly, “Mina is a pretty girl. It really must’ve been nice to have a conversation with her.”

Tzuyu thinks back to that night in question. Just the two of them standing on the balcony, admiring the stars up in the sky. She thinks of Mina’s golden hair and how it shone under the moonlight. She thinks of the mole on Mina’s face, perfectly scattered on her skin like constellations sparkling in the darkness. She thinks of Mina’s warm eyes and her even warmer smile and how it reminded Tzuyu of home somehow. It was a strange thought, even stranger now that she remembers thinking it. And yet, she can’t help but still think it’s true. 

She rests her chin on top of her knuckles and lets out a soft sigh. “It was,” she agrees to Jeongyeon’s words. “Plus, she was the first performer that night. The one who did ballet.”

“Ah.” Jeongyeon rubs at her chin. “She was pretty great. It was an amazing start to the show.”

Tzuyu nods seriously. “Exactly.”

Silence. 

“ _Maybe_ ,” her manager begins deviously, “you should reach out to her.”

“And why should I do that?” 

“There shouldn’t be a reason,” Jeongyeon tells her gently, “to want to talk to somebody.” 

Tzuyu finds herself resisting, as she always does whenever her manager tries to get her to do something that isn’t exactly aligned with her personality. Chou Tzuyu, reaching out to some girl she met at a party? Unheard of. Besides, she doubts Mina is thinking of her the same way she is. The thought dims her mood a bit and she finds herself shaking her head at Jeongyeon’s suggestion. 

“She’s just some girl I met at a party,” Tzuyu mutters, “Plus, I don’t like talking to other people, you know that.” 

“Precisely why you _need_ to talk to her,” Jeongyeon refutes. The smile she wore earlier has now faded into a slight frown. “Come on, Tzuyu,” she adds, “Live a little. Talk to people more. I used to think that it was just you being shy because you couldn’t really understand us but now, it’s like you _don’t_ want to talk to other people.” 

Tzuyu snaps her fingers in a ‘ _aha_ ’ moment. “Now you get it!” she exclaims with as much enthusiasm as she can muster so early in the morning. 

It’s Jeongyeon’s turn to roll her eyes. “Suit yourself,” she says, rising to her feet, “but I think you and Mina would be great friends. Momo told me that Mina rarely talks to other people too.”

Tzuyu raises her eyebrows at this newfound information. “Really?” she asks. 

Jeongyeon smiles at her. “Yeah,” she answers and then points to the pamphlet still stuck on the fridge, “If you ever change your mind, you know where to find her.” 

.

The next day, Tzuyu decides to do some practice shots.

Usually, Dahyun and Chaeyoung accompany her to the open archery range so that they can, according to their own words, ‘match Tzuyu’s skill’ but for now, Tzuyu just wants some time to think to herself. She gets picked up by the company van and then dropped off half an hour later. When she arrives, it’s empty as she requested that she’d be the only one using it. Perks to being part of the national women’s team, after all. 

Tzuyu has her own personalized bow that she uses for official matches. It doesn’t have any designs, compared to Chaeyoung’s, but it has blue shades lined on the upper and lower limbs of the bow. She is as familiar with its weight as she is to the back of her hand. It’s the one she uses the most, compared to all the bows provided by other arenas and competitions. Even though it’s worn around the edges, Tzuyu takes good care of it. 

As Tzuyu moves to stand in front of the targets, she transfers the bow from one hand to the other and stretches the string to test its durability. Then she looks around, feels the wind on her face and then picks up an arrow from the quiver. She does all of this silently, not uttering a single word or making unnecessary sounds. In her mind, however, she just keeps thinking and thinking, responding to the voice in her head. 

_Should I call her_? Tzuyu nocks the arrow. 

_She’s just some girl from a party_ , she thinks to herself as she draws the string, _Just some dancer I watched perform on stage._

 _Yeah but she’s different_ , the voice responds. 

_Different how_? Tzuyu questions herself. _You only talked to her for an hour_. 

_I don’t know_ , is what the voice responds as she closes one eye and peeks at the red bullseye in front of her, _It just feels like she’s different._

Tzuyu exhales a sigh after she releases the arrow, hitting its intended target right on the dot. 

_Maybe I should find out_.

.

_MM Dance Studio._

Tzuyu plays with the strings of her hoodie, lingering in front of the dance building and looking around the area. Just as Mina said, it’s located on the streets of Gangnam and after a quick Google search, she was able to pinpoint the exact address. Now that she thinks about it, she can’t help but wonder if she might’ve crossed a line. Just because Mina told her about her workplace doesn’t give her the right to come. Besides, they barely know each other. Why did she come here? She doesn’t really know. 

“Hey.”

Tzuyu looks down, which isn’t uncalled for, knowing that she’s taller than the average Korean girl. She sees a young kid who looks to be about eight or ten years old, just staring up at her with a furrow between her eyebrows. The girl has jetblack hair, dark eyes and a frown on her face, which seems to be a permanent fixture on her. 

“Hello,” Tzuyu greets. 

“I think I’ve seen you before,” the young girl says, narrowing her eyes at Tzuyu, “Are you a famous person or something? I’m usually good with faces, you know.”

Tzuyu smiles. “You can say that,” she says, crouching to her knees so that she’s looking at the girl instead, “What’s your name? Where are your parents?” 

“My name is Hyejoo,” the girl answers, still with that frown on her face, “and my parents haven’t picked me up from dance practice yet.” 

“Ah.” Tzuyu glances at the studio, wondering if Mina is inside. “I see. What do they teach you there?” 

“It depends,” Hyejoo answers, “I’m taking up ballet. My mom said that it teaches you patience, which I don’t have apparently.” 

Tzuyu laughs and pats the young girl on the head. “That’s good then, right?” 

Hyejoo nods, taking a quick look around. She spots a small shop across the street selling ice cream and points at it. “Can I ask you to buy me some ice cream?” she asks obnoxiously. 

Tzuyu raises an eyebrow. “What makes you think I’m going to treat you to some ice cream?” 

“Cause if you’re a famous person,” Hyejoo begins matter-of-factly, “then that means you’re rich enough to buy me some ice cream. Maybe even for yourself too!” 

“I could get in trouble for that.” 

Hyejoo shakes her head, grabs her hand and drags her towards the ice cream shop. “It’ll only be for a quick second,” she says, “Plus, my parents _never_ give me desert after dance practice.” 

Tzuyu shares in Hyejoo’s frown and lets out a resigned sigh. Oh well, it’s what the child wants. She lets Hyejoo drag her away, making sure to keep an eye on the kid. A part of her wonders why there isn’t anybody watching her. Maybe she slipped out of practice unnoticed? If that’s the case, then they should probably get back before they paint Tzuyu as some kidnapper. Dispatch would have a field day with that. 

“What flavor do you want?” Tzuyu asks, already pulling out her credit card and smiling politely at the ice cream vendor’s shocked expression at seeing her there.

“Chocolate,” Hyejoo answers with a gummy smile. 

Tzuyu picks out vanilla for herself and pays for the two ice cream cones. She hands the chocolate to Hyejoo and then takes her hand to lead her back to the dance studio. When the two of them arrive just outside the building, Tzuyu sees a short-haired woman looking around, eyes frantic and hands shaking. At the sight of Tzuyu holding hands with Hyejoo, she nearly faints.

“Oh my God,” the woman says, looking close to tears at the sight of Tzuyu and Hyejoo walking back with ice creams in one hand, “I thought Hyejoo had been kidnapped or something.” 

“Sorry,” Tzuyu says sheepishly, “she asked me for some ice cream.” 

“Sorry, Jihyo-unnie,” Hyejoo mutters, letting go of Tzuyu’s hand and walking up to the other woman, “I just wanted something to eat while I was waiting for my parents.” 

The woman named Jihyo sighs and pats Hyejoo’s head. “It’s okay.” Then she looks up at Tzuyu with a mixture of confusion on her face. “Hello,” she greets, clearly recognizing the celebrity but choosing to remain professional, “Thank you for taking care of Hyejoo. Is there anything I can help you with?”

Tzuyu shifts her weight from one to another, feeling her cheeks burn. “Is Mina-ssi here?” she asks quietly. 

The confusion vanishes from Jihyo’s face, replaced by pleasant surprise. “I see,” she says, smiling, “She’s in a class right now but you can wait here, if you want?” 

“Oh, that’s fine,” Tzuyu hastily says, “I can come back tomorrow.” 

“Her class ends twenty minutes from now,” Jihyo insists, gesturing to the waiting room of the dance studio. Hyejoo has already bounced inside, looking happy as she finishes off her ice cream. Tzuyu hesitates, still unsure if she should be here or not. 

Then she thinks back to what Jeongyeon told her before: _There shouldn’t be a reason to want to talk to somebody._

“Okay,” she finally says, taking a seat on the couch that’s been provided for parents waiting for their kids. She looks around and notices that there isn’t anybody else waiting with her. Which means that Hyejoo’s class must’ve ended a while back and her parents have yet to pick her up. 

Jihyo heads over to the front desk and returns to typing away on her computer. Since she seems to be the only employee around, Tzuyu can’t exactly blame her for not noticing that Hyejoo was missing earlier. Speaking of the child, Hyejoo is sitting next to Tzuyu and scowling at the sticky residue the ice cream left behind on her hands. 

“Here,” Tzuyu says, pulling out a hanky from her pocket and handing it to the child. 

“Thanks.” Hyejoo narrows her eyes at the older girl, the frown back in place. “You still haven’t told me what kind of celebrity you are.” 

“Does it really matter?” Tzuyu asks. 

The child shrugs. “I don’t know.” Then her eyes light up as a thought returns to her. “Wait, you were looking for Teacher Mina, right?” 

Tzuyu feels as if she’s been caught doing something she isn’t supposed to be doing. She looks away, still not sure how to explain her presence at this local dance studio. _Yes_ , she wants to tell Hyejoo _, I’m looking for your teacher because I enjoyed talking to her at some party that happened over a week ago._ Even at the tender age that Hyejoo is in, it would surely seem crazy to anybody.

And yet, Tzuyu is here.

Mina’s warm eyes and even warmer smile comes to mind, making something in her chest thrum deeply. “Yes,” she answers Hyejoo’s earlier question.

“Are you friends?” Hyejoo asks, swinging her tiny legs back and forth. 

Tzuyu frowns. “Not really.”

“So, are you _girlfriends_?”

Tzuyu’s eyes widen, wondering how on earth the thought occurred to Hyejoo’s. The kid looks up at her, cheeky grin in place. “Well?” she asks, “Are _you_?” 

“No,” Tzuyu says quickly, feeling her cheeks warm even more, “It’s nothing like that. Your teacher and I are just… acquaintances.”

“What’s that?” 

“It’s what you call someone when you’re not friends yet.” 

“There’s a word for that?” Hyejoo wrinkles her nose. “Weird.”

The two of them end up talking about nonsensical things for the next twenty minutes. Over this time, other parents show up to come and pick up their kids straight after their dance practice. The more adults that show up, the more worried Tzuyu feels for Hyejoo, who looks as if getting picked up late by her own parents is a normal occurrence. 

When Mina’s dance practice ends, a group of ten kids and more all come bustling down the hallway, nearly trampling over each other in the effort to reach their parents first. Tzuyu makes sure to stay hidden under a hoodie, not wanting to be seen by the other occupants in the room. After some chit chat with the other parents, everybody soon leaves. This leaves Tzuyu and Hyejoo sitting still in the waiting area. 

“Jihyo-ah,” a familiar voice calls and Tzuyu’s heart picks up speed, “Has everybody been picked up by their parents?” 

Tzuyu sees Jihyo glance apologetically at Hyejoo. “Not yet,” she answers.

Tzuyu’s hands start sweating out of their own accord as she hears footsteps approaching from the same hallway the kids came from. Then, like a runaway model waltzing down her own fashion show, Mina emerges. She’s wearing a white open jacket with a black sports bra underneath and black leggings that show off the curve of her waist. Her blonde hair is tied in a high ponytail, accentuating the shape of her jaw and making her look regal despite the sweat running down her cheeks. When she looks around the room and spots Tzuyu sitting next to Hyejoo, her eyebrows scrunch and her bottom lip juts out in a pout, making her resemble a confused puppy that has Tzuyu’s heart racing faster. 

“Tzuyu-ssi?” she asks, approaching the duo, “What are you doing here?”

Tzuyu and Hyejoo glance at each other. The child leans up and hisses, “ _acquaintances_ ” right into the taller girl’s ear. Then with an innocent smile, she jumps down from her seat and approaches her teacher. 

“Hi, Teacher Mina,” she greets, “This friendly lady bought me ice cream.” 

Mina smiles and Tzuyu can’t help but stare. “That’s great,” the dance instructor says, “You know her, right?”

Hyejoo pouts. “That’s the thing,” she says, “She’s not telling me what kind of celebrity she is.”

“Don’t you remember when all the other kids crowded in front of the TV during break?” Mina asks, going down on her knees so that she can level with Hyejoo, “The one showing the archery match?” 

Hyejoo’s eyebrows furrow. “Wait…” 

Tzuyu giggles when Hyejoo turns to her with her mouth hanging wide open. “You’re _our_ ace!” the child says excitedly, jumping up and down, “I remember when you did that shot on TV! Like you looked _so_ cool! How did you do that? The target was so far away? Ah! Can I have your autograph? Can I tell my mom that you bought me ice cream—?” 

Mina gently interrupts the child with a hand on her back. “Hyejoo,” she says, “Your dad’s car is waiting for you outside.” 

“But—” 

Tzuyu stands up and walks over to Hyejoo. “I’ll see you tomorrow,” she promises before she points at the grey Maserati sitting in the middle of the driveway, “so don’t keep your dad waiting, okay?” 

Hyejoo looks like she wants to argue but then the car outside _honks_ and she lets out a resigned huff. “Fine,” she mutters, grabbing her stuff from the couch and then hurrying outside. Before she passes through the open doors, she glances over her shoulder and yells, “Tomorrow, Tzuyu-unnie!” 

Tzuyu nods and waves at the child, who disappears into the backseat of the grey Maserati. Despite having only met her just now, she can’t help but feel fond of her already. She thinks back to what Mina said about kids and how energetic they are. She understands the sentiment. 

“So,” Mina begins, rising to her feet, “What brings you here, Tzuyu-ssi?” 

Tzuyu hums. “When you mentioned the name and location of your dance studio, was that not an invitation to come and visit?” She means it as a joke but she knows that Mina can tell she’s just trying to make light of the situation. 

Mina shakes her head with a smile on her face. “That depends on you, I guess,” she says. 

There’s a moment where they just don’t say anything. Tzuyu doesn’t mind the silence between them. Mina doesn’t look like she’s put off by it nor does she seem inclined to fill it with unnecessary words. As a celebrity, Tzuyu has dealt with so many people trying to make small talk and then gearing the conversation towards topics of business—CF offers, endorsements, other deals that they should really be talking to her manager about. With Mina, it’s different. Tzuyu doesn’t feel obligated to say anything but she also knows Mina is willing to listen if she ever does so. 

“Do you have a class soon?” Tzuyu questions, gesturing to the hallway leading to what she assumes are practice rooms. 

“I do,” Mina answers regretfully, “Thirty minutes from now.” 

Tzuyu nods. “Okay,” she says, “When are you free?” 

Mina looks a bit puzzled but she smiles nonetheless. “Free for what?” she asks. 

To be fair, Tzuyu hasn’t thought this far ahead. When Jeongyeon told her to contact Mina, she hadn’t prepared a speech or even a plan. All she knew was that she liked talking to the girl. So she decides to be honest. “Free to talk,” she answers, shrugging, “If that’s okay with you.” 

Mina hums, the smile never leaving her lips. “I’m free this Saturday,” she suggests. 

Tzuyu does a mental check. Today is Tuesday, which means she still has three days to go just to talk to Mina freely again. The same way she did back at that party where they found each other. While Mina’s performance had been the reason why Tzuyu was so drawn to the other girl, it was their conversation at the balcony that had sealed Tzuyu’s fate. She wants to get to know Mina more, regardless to what extent. 

“Okay,” she says, bowing her head, “I’ll be here every day until then.”

Mina’s eyes widen. “You don’t have to,” she is quick to say, “We can just meet on that day.” 

“I _did_ promise Hyejoo that I’d be here tomorrow.”

“Tzuyu-ssi,” Mina says with a huff, eyebrows scrunched together. 

But Tzuyu just shakes her head. “I want to,” she insists. Then she rubs at the back of her neck, biting her lower lip. “But if you’re not too busy now, do you want to use the next thirty minutes to just talk?” 

Tzuyu is bad at conversations but the radiant smile on Mina’s face lets her know that it doesn’t really matter. 

.

And so, for the next three days, Tzuyu strikes up a routine. 

After her practice at the archery range by herself, she heads to Gangnam, meets up with Hyejoo who is once again waiting to be picked up, waits for Mina to finish with her class and then talks to her for thirty minutes until her next class arrives. 

It begs the question of why Tzuyu would go through all the trouble just for some girl she met at a party. And yet, she knows there doesn’t have to be a reason. Just like what Jeongyeon said, you don’t need a reason to want to talk to someone. And frankly, when it comes to Mina, the radiant smile on her face when she sees Tzuyu waiting for her is the only reason she needs to be here.

.

Wednesday.

“You’re from Japan?” Tzuyu asks, ten minutes into their conversation. 

Mina nods, taking a sip of the iced coffee Tzuyu bought for them both. “Yes,” she answers, “Most people can’t tell because they tell me I speak Korean well.” 

“Yes,” Tzuyu says, “you do speak it well.” 

“I can say the same for you.”

When Mina looks at her, eyes warm and smile even warmer, Tzuyu can’t help but feel like her skin has been set on fire. It’s strange how every little thing Mina does, it has an effect on her. 

“Do you miss it?” Mina asks in a hushed whisper, leaning forward.

“Miss what?” 

Mina’s lips curve into a bittersweet smile. “Home.” 

“Yes,” is Tzuyu’s quick answer, thinking of the warmth and stillness of Tainan—the one she feels with Mina now, “I miss it everyday.”

.

Thursday. 

Tzuyu decides to open up the topic today. “Do you,” she begins, a few seconds after Mina has settled into the seat next to her, “ever feel like you’re just an outsider sometimes?” 

Mina tilts her head to the side, a frown on her face. Even with the frown, she still looks pretty. It makes Tzuyu’s heart skip a beat. “Yes,” she answers, “Sometimes, when people talk too fast or use a word that I’m not familiar with, it reminds me that I’m not really from here.” 

“How long have you been living in Korea?” Tzuyu asks. 

“I transferred during high school,” Mina answers, looking deep in thought, “and then I just never really thought to move away.”

Tzuyu nods to herself, feeling a spark in her chest. _Me too_ , she thinks. Everything about Mina is like a mirror. When Tzuyu looks at the other girl, she sees a bit of herself peeking through. It might be disarming for some but for her, it’s a comfort. Here is somebody who knows how she feels. Here is somebody who understands what she’s been through. Here is somebody who doesn’t push her out of her comfort zone and instead waits for her to explore it on her own. 

The connection she felt with Mina back at the party deepens. 

.

Friday.

“Hyejoo is a good kid,” Mina tells Tzuyu, after they watch Hyejoo leave in her father’s car, “and her parents are good people. They just don’t have the time to be with her.” 

Tzuyu lets out a soft sigh. “I see.” 

“She didn’t like ballet at first,” Mina shares with a giggle, “but it grew on her. Now she’s one of my best students.” 

“Maybe she got better because she wanted to impress someone,” Tzuyu jokingly says, “Maybe she liked the ballet teacher.”

Mina laughs, showing off her gummy smile, and it strikes a chord deep in Tzuyu’s chest. “I hope she’s not the only one,” the blonde says in a quiet voice. She holds Tzuyu’s surprised gaze for a few seconds before she looks away and changes the topic. 

.

When Saturday comes, Tzuyu decides to call somebody. 

“Hi,” she greets once her call has been picked up.

“ _Tzuyu-yah_ ,” Chaeyoung says on the other end, a whine in her voice, “ _It’s like eight in the morning. What is it?_ ” 

“I wanted to ask you a question.” 

There’s silence. Then Chaeyoung groans. It sounds like she’s rising from her bed. In the background, Tzuyu hears Dahyun’s surprised yelp. They must’ve been in bed together. The realization makes Tzuyu’s cheeks warm in embarrassment. 

“ _Ask away_ ,” Chaeyoung says. 

“How did you get the courage to tell Dahyun you liked her?” 

Another silence. Chaeyoung hums. “ _Is there somebody you like_?” she asks, her voice sounding quite smug for Tzuyu’s taste, “ _I don’t see you for a week and you’re already cozying up to someone? Did this happen at the party? Didn’t I tell you to tell us what happened?_ ” 

“It slipped my mind,” Tzuyu admits, “I’ve been busy too.”

“ _Fine_ ,” Chaeng mumbles, “ _I can forgive that_. _Anyway, who is this person_?” 

“Her name is Mina,” Tzuyu says. Just the thought of the other girl makes lips twitch into a wide smile. There’s just something about her that makes Tzuyu feel as if she’s _understood_. It’s a nice feeling and it’s one that she doesn’t want to go away. 

“ _Mina_ ,” Chaeyoung echoes, “ _Pretty name_.”

“She’s a pretty girl,” Tzuyu goes on, “The prettiest, I think.” 

“ _You sound like you like her a lot._ ”

Tzuyu nods enthusiastically and then realizes that Chaeyoung can’t see. “I do,” she says sincerely, “I like her a lot.” 

“ _Then that’s all you need_ ,” the other girl replies, “ _You don’t need anything else. Just tell her you like her and see where it goes from there_.” 

Tzuyu thinks it’s easier said than done.

.

Initially, Tzuyu wanted to go to some fancy restaurant that needed reservations months before but ultimately decides against it. She doesn’t want any cameras following her and Mina around. Plus, she isn’t sure if this can be considered a date. After all, it can just be an outing between two friends. Yet, Tzuyu isn’t even sure if she and Mina can be considered friends. Are they friends? She’s not sure. Well, Tzuyu isn’t sure about a lot of things. This is why she often spends a considerable amount of time thinking things through and not doing anything about them. 

“Tzuyu-ssi!” somebody calls. 

When Tzuyu turns, she spots Mina approaching her after getting out of a taxi, looking very beautiful in a simple white dress shirt and black slacks. Her golden hair cascades down her shoulders in waves and her eyes are crinkled around the corners. There’s a certain smile that Mina wears whenever Tzuyu sees her—one that shows off her gums and puffs up her cheeks. It’s an adorable sight and it burns through Tzuyu’s heart each time she sees it. 

“Hi,” Tzuyu greets, smiling as well, “You look great.” 

“I’ll take that as a compliment from the most beautiful face of 2019,” Mina says smugly. She comes to stand next to Tzuyu. “Now, where are we headed, Ms. Chou?” 

Tzuyu points at a small restaurant across the street. It was Chaeyoung’s suggestion. Apparently, it has good food and a warm atmosphere. Just the right amount of fancy and homey that Tzuyu wants out of this date… or outing. Whichever. She’s not sure. Perhaps she should ask Mina. 

But when she looks down at Mina’s twinkling eyes and the gummy smile she still has on her face, all the words (not that she had many in the first place) gets stuck in her throat. 

“To be honest,” Mina says out of the blue, sensing another silence about to envelop them, “I didn’t think you’d ask me out on a date.” 

Tzuyu raises her eyebrows, ears starting to ring once she hears the word _date_. “Why not?” she asks. 

“Because you’re Chou Tzuyu,” Mina says and for the first time since they met, she can’t hold Tzuyu’s inquisitive gaze, “and I’m just some girl you met at a party.” 

Tzuyu remembers the first time she saw Mina and how beautiful she looked dancing on stage like it was the only thing she was born to do. Then she thinks of meeting her later that night and how it felt like she was standing at a cusp of an imminent realization. Now, she takes the first step and willingly lets herself feel the consequences. 

It’s a known fact that Chou Tzuyu isn’t the most social celebrity out there. Her manager Yoo Jeongyeon would often comment that she can count the number of times Tzuyu has attended important events related to her career. Even her own teammates, Kim Dahyun and Son Chaeyoung, would say that Tzuyu prefers to stay home and watch television. The press often talks about her beauty and nothing more because there’s nothing to write about if Tzuyu doesn’t go open up. For Tzuyu herself, she does this because she can never be too comfortable in a country that she still hasn’t gotten used to—despite having lived here for several years already. 

She doesn’t go out and live her life because she doesn’t want to be caught saying the wrong thing and end up ruining her career. And yet, she isn’t too worried when it comes to Mina. Because Mina, based on the numerous conversations they’ve already shared, doesn’t seem to mind when Tzuyu doesn’t say anything. 

It’s different.

Tzuyu likes her.

So, with a bated breath and the knowledge that she isn’t good with talking, Tzuyu takes a step forward and lets her actions speak louder than her words.

She kisses Mina. 

Mina’s lips are soft and sweet. Her hands come up to rest against Tzuyu’s shoulders, grounding her to the situation that’s happening right now. As the kiss deepens, Tzuyu feels _everything_ all at once. It’s hard to describe but the first thing that comes to mind is how _warm_ Mina is. Like a blazing fireplace in the middle of winter. It makes her entire body tingle with pins and needles. A part of her thinks she might fly up into the sky using only her rapidly beating heart as an engine, which is an admittedly strange thought to have. One that she keeps to herself. 

“Oh,” Mina says breathlessly after the kiss ends and Tzuyu takes a step backwards. 

Tzuyu can’t stop smiling. “I asked you out because I like you,” she says, thinking of Chaeyoung’s advice and finally putting it to good use, “I hope you don’t mind.” 

Mina giggles, her cheeks reddening. “I don’t,” she says, reaching down and holding Tzuyu’s hand. 

“Good.” Tzuyu lets out a soft sigh and looks down at their intertwined hands. She doesn’t know what else to say, too caught up in her emotions that she just lets the silence envelop them again. It’s nice. They don’t need to say anything else to fill the moment. 

And then Mina tugs Tzuyu by the hand and presses a soft kiss on her mouth. “I like you too,” she whispers against her lips, “I hope you don’t mind as well.” 

Tzuyu doesn’t but she can tell Mina that another time. For now, maybe she can kiss her again. Just for good measure.

.

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> I think this fic was more on me exploring Mitzu's dynamic, since we don't get it to see it very often. The fact that they're both so quiet and don't interact much in front of the camera make me think that they must be really close behind closed doors. Also, I really like the fact that Mina is OBVIOUSLY Tzuyu's favorite unnie hehehehe so yeah, it's not angsty because I don't think I can angst Mitzu... it seems impossible, to be honest. 
> 
> Anyway, thank you for reading!
> 
> Have a nice day!!!


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